The Murder of Severus Snape
by Hades'Queen
Summary: Severus Snape is found murdered and with a castle full of suspects, it is up to one Auror to find out who did it. But our Auror has secrets and ghost of her own to deal with. Will she let them get in the way of her duty? And could there be another victim?
1. A Gruesome Discovery

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter is property of J.K. Rowling. This is in response to the 'Murder at Hogwarts Challenge' by 'dance-of-the-grindylows'.

**Author's Note:** This is a bit AU. Takes place during HBP. As stated above, this s my response to a challenge. Also my first attempt writing a mystery, so please be gentle with your criticism in reviews, if you have them. That is not to say pointers aren't welcome, they are. Hope you enjoy the story.

_Flashbacks/dreams like this._

'Private thoughts like this.'

"Speech."

**Summary:** Severus Snape is found murdered and with a castle full of suspects, it is up to one Auror to find out who did it. But our Auror has secrets and ghost of her own to deal with. Will she let them get in the way of her duty? And could there be another victim?

**The Murder of Severus Snape**

_**Chapter 1: A Gruesome Discovery**_

A trio of sixth-year Slytherins set across the grounds on a gray morning that threatened rain. It was the beginning of May, so it wasn't totally unexpected, though slightly inconvenient if it stared pouring on the surly three.

"Where is Draco? It isn't like him to miss classes," a female voice said, though it was a bit deep in a sultry way. Surprisingly so, as the girl who spoke was slender and only reached about five foot five. She had long layered hair, which was of a quite dark auburn color, with long bangs she swept off to the left and covered a bit of her left eye. Her eyes were the green of moss, and her pouty lips were closed in a straight line giving no evidence that she ever smiled.

"He's been acting oddly all year. The pressure is getting to him," replied a tall, dark skinned boy with extremely fine features. He had lashes that seemed to last for days and curled in a way most girls would envy over honey-colored eyes. He was lithe of figure and towered a head taller than the girl beside him. "And since when do you care about Draco?" he asked, narrowing his beautiful eyes at the girl next to him.

"Your displays of jealousy bore me, you know," she huffed coldly back at him.

"You never seemed to mind before," he retorted.

"Because they were rare enough to be cute, and not so stupid. You know what I think of Draco," she replied.

"There's something going on over there," the third of the group said, suddenly stopping on a hill. Tracey Davis, and Blaise Zabini stopped arguing long enough to look at what Theodore Nott was staring at.

Theodore Nott was a very tall lanky boy. At sixteen, he was nearly six feet two, and he still had growing to do. However, he was not particularly attractive. He had a bit of a very pointed nose and mousy brown hair and watery eyes due to the fact that they were always irritated. However, what he lacked in looks, he more than made up for in smarts.

The trio of Slytherins stopped, facing away from their destination which was the Greenhouses, and stared. There was a large group of students gathering around something, while Hagrid seemed to be attempting to keep them away. From the looks of it, there were fourth years that took his class, and some of their own classmates.

"Theo, you should go have a look. You're the tallest, you'll see over everyones heads," Blaise said, turning his gaze to look over Tracey's head and at his other companion that morning.

However, Theodore shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to look over them. Tracey should go. She's small, she could easily slip through those gathered and shove her way through the rest to get a closer look."

"He has a point," Tracey said, before heading off, striding carefully to get down the somewhat steep slope. Once clear of it, she walked quickly to reach the group of students gathered. Theodore and Blaise watched as she slipped through the crowd and started making her way though the gaps. They lost sight of her once she got to the point were they were too packed together. However, Tracey really was the best for this. She was pushy, cold, could be very mean and completely unapologizing of it.

They watched for a few moments, neither one moving and watching the scene. It was hard to tell what was happening but for a lot of pushing. "She better hurry, here comes Dumbledore with Sprout," Theodore suddenly said after looking back at the castle. Blaise turned to look and saw Dumbledore and Sprout had just finished climbing down the castle steps and were rushing over. Their faces bore extremely grave expressions.

Blaise turned back to the large crowd and looked for Tracey. He felt some relief when he spotted her heading back. She got to them, just as Dumbledore and Sprout passed them. Her face was slightly blanched and she looked a bit out of breath from rushing. "Well, what is it?" Blaise asked a bit impatiently.

Tracey grimaced as she looked around as if to make sure they were alone. "Its Snape," she said, looking back at them. Blaise and Theodore stared at her with raised brows, wondering what their Head of House had done. "He's dead."

XX

Hermione Granger was easily amongst the smartest students of her year. More than that, she was possibly the most exemplary student. However, at the moment, she didn't look it. Her hair was wild and windblown and her cheeks flushed as she strode quickly through the length of the Gryffindor table where she expected to find her two best friends.

"We have to talk," she said, as she stood behind them. She didn't wait to hear their response as she turned on her heal and headed straight out of the hall. Both Gryffindor boys were in the middle of eating breakfast. They exchanged glances at the sight of Hermione, and were a bit slow to get up. They had to jog out of the Hall to catch up to her.

"Whats up?" Ron Weasley, a tall redhead asked as they caught up to her on the stairs and started heading up to the stairs. Hermione didn't reply for the moment and merely continued up the stairs, looking harried and distracted.

"Hermione... we have Herbology right now, shouldn't we-"

"Its been cancelled, I was there early," she explained quickly as she started heading up another flight of stairs with the boys on her heels. A great feat considering they were both taller than her, the redhead more so.

Harry Potter furrowed his brow. It wasn't normal for classes to be cancelled. Unless a teacher was for some reason or other not able to attend it and there was no one to cover for them. But Professor Sprout never missed class.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Harry asked his tone tinged with worry. Hermione didn't say anything as she pulled then into a nearby alcove.

"Professor Snape is dead," Hermione said without preamble, her voice trembling. Harry and Ron exchanged disbelieving looks.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, licking his lips.

"Positive. I saw it myself," Hermione replied, looking even paler. "That's not the worst of it. He was cut, hip to shoulder in a slant. Like he'd been slashed with a sword," she said, turning to look at Harry at this.

"Someone murdered him?" Ron asked, a mixture between disbelief and not really sure he should be at all surprised. However, Hermione didn't deign to respond but for a nod. She was still staring at Harry Potter, whose brows were deeply furrowed. He seemed to understand the implication, but afraid to say it.

"Harry... this is a lot like the Prince's spell," Hermione stated slowly in a low voice. Harry looked like he was about to be sick, and had gotten extremely pale. However, he was still unwilling to comment. "Harry, only you know that spell," Hermione said slowly, barely above a whisper. If the three weren't in such a small alcove, the other two probably wouldn't have heard her.

"You... you think I..."

"No! f course not," Hermione said, not letting him go on. "But Harry, you HATE Snape."

"Everyone does!" Harry said defensively.

"Yes, but you especially. Everyone knows you're both practically at each other's throats since you got here first year. And you used that spell on Draco just two days ago and Snape gave you detentions for this Saturday precisely when Gryffindors big game is. And you said you hoped he would die this year-"

"I never-"

"Yes you did, at the start of term feast. Don't you remember? You said you were, 'Keeping your fingers crossed for another death', referring to Snape and his new appointment," Hermione explained.

"But I didn't mean it!"

Hermione gave him a slightly unsure look before shaking her head. "Either way, its very likely you'll be a suspect, if not the number one suspect."

XX

Draco Malfoy sat on the lidded seat of a toilet, locked in a stall. He had his feet resting on the edge of the seat. One of his long fingered hands, held onto one of his shins while the other was tugging on his hair. He had his forehead, pressed to his knees while his face was frozen in a look of anguish with his mouth hanging open in a silent sob.

He listened attentively as the door of the washroom opened and he heard two separate footsteps step in, one sounding more rushed than the other. Draco lifted his head for a moment, and held his breath as he listened to a stall door slam, followed by some shuffling and then the odd sound of someone alleviating themselves.

"Yeah, Megan's had a rough week. Do you think its because of her cat going missing?" a high-pitched female voice said, her voice echoing with the acoustics of the lavatory. Apparently, the pair that walked in were in the middle of a conversation.

"I doubt it, a person doesn't go all catatonic because of a missing cat. Besides, her cat's been missing for days. Why didn't she get all weird until this morning?" another female voice responded before Draco heard flushing sound and to a stall door happening. He then heard a tap and the sound of rushing water.

"Hurry up, you know this is Myrtle's washroom," he heard one of the girls whisper suddenly, something he only heard because sounds seemed to travel far in the washroom.

"Hold on, I have to wash my hands," the other girl said, probably the one that had to go to the washroom so badly that she had to run into Moaning Myrtle's washroom. "Hey... do you think that it might have anything to do with Snape?" the girl asked. Draco lifted his head at this and started breathing shallowly.

"What do you mean?" the other girl asked. Draco hear the sound of the water stop.

"Well... Megan seemed to kind of... like have crush on him?" the girl said, sounding unsure. Draco heard their voices getting father away before he heard a door open and close and then back to the silence.

His eyes looked around the stall wildly. "The whole school must know by now," he muttered to himself feverishly.

"You should know by now how fast news travel. When I died..."

XX

Albus Dumbledore sat in his seat heavily. Across from him were a group of witches and wizards primarily being his Headmistress, his current Potion's Master and an Auror with mousy brown hair and significantly plain features.

"Dawlish was on duty when the body was discovered. He's already informed Robard's," the Auror, a Nymphadora Tonks said, referring to a fellow Auror and the Head of the Auror department, respectively. "Robard will probably send another Auror to investigate the murder."

"But there are four others here that could do that. Do we really need someone else?" a scottish accented voice suddenly asked.

"They will need to conduct their own investigation with someone who hasn't been here for months. At this point, everyone in the castle is a possible suspect, even the Auror's stationed here," Albus Dumbledore said, not sounding particularly concerned. He turned his glance back to the Auror. "Tonks, do you have any idea who they might possibly send?"

"Robard's was the best along with Mad-Eye, but Mad-Eye's retired and Robard is Head of the department and he can't come himself. Kingsley is on assignment to the muggle prime minister. Beyond that-" Tonks trailed off and shrugged at this. She didn't know who they could possibly send. She knew many Aurors who were equally bright, and many Aurors like Dawlish, more suited to fighting then investigating.

Dumbledore merely nodded at this before turning his silvery-massed self to the one occupant in the room who had said nothing. "Horace, you're aware that I need you to take your old position of Head of Slytherin now as well?"

The man sighed resignedly at this. However, he didn't much like it.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Well that was the first chapter. I hope that it was good. Please tell me what you think about it thus far. Please review.


	2. An Unorganized Auror

_**Chapter 2: An Unorganized Auror**_

Alexis Smith stood in the center of her bedroom, a cigarette hanging limply from her lips as she cast her gaze about her room. On her bed, she had a half packed bag stocked with a couple weeks worth of clothing and the few toiletries she would need. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she lost herself in thought.

Robard was sending her on assignment to Hogwarts. The file, which she had only perused, was tossed on her bed next to her bag. Why he was sending her, she had no clue. Of all the people, she thought that there were surely people more qualified.

Not that she wasn't a good Auror, or a bright one because if there was one thing Alexis was, it was smart. She'd even been a Ravenclaw when she was at Hogwarts, the House for the brainy and bookish.

However, that aside, she knew there were Auror's better suited for this. Aurors that were years her seniors and with more experience. She'd only been an Auror for four years and even in her three years in training, she'd known there were others better than her.

She'd had half a mind to turn Robard down, however, that would entail a mess of problems that she didn't particularly want to deal with. She grimaced at the thought of this, keeping in mind not to drop her cigarette, she'd already burned enough of her carpet to want to add anymore. 'I hate politics_',_ she thought with a sigh.

Turning to her bag, she briefly wondered what else she should pack as she scratched the back of her head. Being as she wore her dark brown hair in a pixie, she didn't mind mussing it up. She wondered what else she should pack in her bag, as somehow she was sure that the case coming up would be trying and long.

The victim, one Severus Snape. A man she had once known as the Head of Slytherin and Potions Master at Hogwarts, a man she personally knew most would fantasize about murdering. Even she had fantasized about it juvenilely when she was his student. 'I have my work cut out for me_'_, she thought grimly.

Found at seven in the morning by one Megan Jones. Sixth-year. Hufflepuff. The girl was taken to the Hospital wing in a catatonic state. Or so the first initial report said. She'd have to go over this all herself once on the scene of the crime.

The victim was slashed open from left hip to right shoulder. To her, this suggested someone who was left handed; though this was not stated in the report.

The victim died of blood loss. Estimated time of death was around ten in the evening to midnight.

No weapon was found. Presumably, there were no witnesses either.

Alexis sighed once more. This case seemed absolutely massive to her. There was a castle full of suspects for her to consider, and she wasn't sure who all she could rule out but those far too young to think of murder. And even that could be folly. Kids these days seemed to have a warped sense of right or wrong, if any sense of it at all.

The Auror shook her head thinking it best not to think of the case anymore until she arrived at the castle and saw everything for herself. Instead, she decided to get back to her packing. 'Boss-man said I have to be there ASAP.'

With this in mind, she headed over to the nearest furniture surface, a nightstand, and put out her cigarette in the ashtray there. 'No use getting ashes over everything.'

Avoiding mounds of dirty laundry and a couple stacks of books she had about, she weaved through her small bedroom. She tossed in her bag the file, some pens as she found ink and quills impractical for taking quick notes, and a five by eight inch notebook with a small box of charcoals.

After she was done with that, she surveyed the room wondering if there was anything else she should take. However, there was nothing she could think of, so she merely turned to her medium-sized duffel, which looked like something had exploded inside and disarrayed all the contents and zipped it up.

She shouldered the strap on her right, the bag hanging by her hip heavily, and picked up her wand before apparating to the gates of Hogwarts. Robard told her that it was arranged for her to stay in the castle, as it would be much easier than commuting from Hogsmead, what with all the extra defenses up around the school.

As it was, she had to wait around the school gates before someone was fetched to accompany her. Alexis wasn't particularly looking forward to this, and the sight of the castle itself brought up an array of emotions and memories she hadn't quite prepared for.

However, she tried to remain focused as she was lead to the Headmaster by Hagrid. He was the groundskeeper, even when she was a student. Though, she was a bit surprised when he commented her on the way up to the school that he was the new Care of Magical Creatures professor. Although she was more surprised by the fact that he recognized her at all. She didn't know why he would, considering it had been about seven years since she'd last been in school and considering she'd never had much of a rapport with him. Though she supposed it might be hard to forget a girl with a Pixie cut, not very many chose to wear their hair this way. Although, Alexis had only started to so in her fourth year.

However, all this went out of her mind as they stepped into the castle.

Despite seeing the castle on their approach and how familiar the environs were, nothing prepared her for stepping into the Entrance Hall. Though there was some of that marvel she felt the first time she set foot there as a first year, she also felt a flood of memories of her years here.

For a moment, she froze and watched as students bustled around. She turned and looked into the Great Hall and noticed that the hall wasn't quite full. She rather imagined that it was just around lunch, and there were students constantly coming and going. Some shot her curious glances, but Alexis didn't pay this very much mind.

Squelching the memories that were flooding her, she instead focused on noting the differences. She imagined that though the school didn't change in appearance, that there had to be differences.

She noted that the students seemed more sedated. However, remembered how in her own school days how quickly news spread, she imagined that might have to do with that morning's events.

Alexis shook her head and turned to look where Hagrid had gotten and noticed her was already half-way up the stairs. She mounted them two at a time, running, to catch up. She had time to explore the changes at a later time, when they mattered. She didn't catch up to Hagrid until halfway up to the second floor as he had stopped.

Being as she couldn't quite see past him, she nearly ran into the reason he stopped. In front of Hagrid was a Slytherin boy, followed by two girls. Next to the boy, was yet another girl, one that Alexis nearly ran into. From the looks of it, Alexis guessed they were all Slytherin.

"Excuse me," Alexis commented, embarrassed she nearly mowed down a student. She inhaled sharply when she really focused on the girl before her, who was scowling at her. The girl had olive eyes, and dark red hair. She looked like she was fifteen or sixteen. '_Could it be-'_

"You're excused," the girl sniped rudely before walking around her and continuing on her way. "Hurry up!" she called behind her without turning as Alexis turned to watch the girls descent. The tall black boy that had been walking next to her, shot Alexis a curious look before hurrying to follow. He was followed quickly by a pair of girls to caught up in their conversation to even notice anything had occurred.

"Don't min' 'er, most Slytherin's can be right rude, but dat one 's'got a bit o' a chip on 'er should'r," Hagrid told Alexis kindly, as he noted the perplexed and almost hurt look on her face.

Alexis turned to look at Hagrid and nodded absently as she followed him up the stairs. "Do you know her name?" Alexis asked as they started making their way up the stairs.

Hagrid shot the woman a concerned look, noticing that she was for some reason a bit disturbed by the encounter and like she was deep in thought. "Not sure. She got in trouble a lot, but Professor Snape ne'er really let her be 'anded o'er to Filch or me," Hagrid said, wincing afterward as he noted how he mentioned the deceased.

"Is that normal? Did Snape often do that with the Slytherins?" Alexis asked, looking up, seemingly more focused. When she was a student, she knew that Snape showed a lot of preferential treatment towards the Slytherin, which she was sure hadn't changed. But that didn't mean that Snape never punished his own students. Although, how he did so was a mystery to her.

"Isn' of'n a Slytherin's caught doin' sommat's gonna need more an' points being taken away," Hagrid said with a shrug. "Well 'ere we are. Sugar Quills," Hagrid said to the gargoyle standing guard at the spiral staircase. "S'pose I'll be seein' yah around?"

Alexis merely nodded as she stepped into the spiral staircase and waved halfheartedly to Hagrid as she rode up the stairs. Once at the door to the Headmaster's office, she steeled herself for a moment to knock on it and compose herself.

"Come in," she heard, though it was somewhat muffled by the door. Opening the door, the young Auror stepped inside and closed it behind herself.

In all her years as a student, Alexis had often seen the Headmaster's office. Though, that was not for any misbehavior on her part. She'd rather been a model student. In her fifth year she had even been made a Prefect, and then followed as Head Girl as a seventh year. She'd never been one for breaking rules, and her academic record had been more than just decent for a Ravenclaw. As a result, she hadn't had very many friends when she was in school.

Walking through the office, she didn't pay too much mind to her surrounding as a peripheral glance told her that it was pretty much as it had been when she had last been there. Instead, she strode purposefully up to the desk where Professor Dumbledore sat behind. She wasn't much surprised to see that he didn't look much different either.

"Professor Dumbledore," Alexis said as she reached his desk and outstretched her hand to him. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but my name is Alexis Smith."

"Miss Smith. Of course I remember you. You were Head Girl what? Seven years ago?" Albus said with a small smile as he shook the girls hand. "I'm pleased to see you that you have achieved your dream, though there was never a doubt in my mind that you wouldn't." Alexis blushed slightly at this, but merely nodded her head. "Please, have a seat."

"Actually Headmaster, I was wondering if we could go to the scene of the murder," Alexis said, her face suggesting that she felt rather uncomfortable with being somewhat rude. However, she was rather anxious to get to ground zero as it were. "I'd like to get started as soon as I can."

Albus looked over the girl for a moment before nodding. "Of course, Miss Smith," Albus said, putting his hands gingerly on his desk and rising. It was then that Alexis noted the gruesome injury to his hand. 'A dark curse,' she deducted, making sure to look away as soon as she noticed it. She doubted that questions on it would be welcome. 'But supposing its related?'

"Professor, you hand," she started delicately as he walked around his desk to join her.

"Ah," he said slipping his robes sleeve down to cover his hand, and completely banish it from sight. "An injury obtained last summer, due to my own carelessness handling an antique," he replied with a benign smile. Alexis merely nodded at this, accepting it at face value as she followed her old Headmaster out of his office as she momentarily wondered if the Great Albus Dumbledore was finally becoming impaired by his age. "How do you find the school?" he asked conversationally as they made their way through the school.

"Timeless as ever, I suppose," she replied noncommittally with a small smile.

"Yes, I've always rather felt its unchanging but changing every second myself," Albus said with a small chuckle.

"I suppose for you even more so. You were a student here once, and then came back as Professor and Head of Gryffindor, and now you are Headmaster," Alexis replied. She looked up at the Headmaster. "I think no one could possibly love the school more than you."

"Yes. Sometimes I wonder what will become of it when I am gone, but then I remember the castle was here long before me, and will be long after," he replied, though his expression was clouded for a moment.

"I think for our generation, a Hogwarts without you will be hard to imagine," Alexis said. However, after a moment she wondered why they were getting into this conversation. Shaking her head of this, she decided to focus on what she was here for instead. "Have the students been kept away from the body and crime scene?"

"All students have been confined inside the castle since the discovery this morning," Albus replied as they reached the ground floor. "Unfortunately Miss Jones, the girl that found the body, can't account for whether she changed anything from the scene. She's been in the Hospital wing, and catatonic. Fortunately both Hagrid and Professor Sprout managed head off this mornings Care of Magical Creatures class and Herbology classes before the students could get any closer as well?"

"What classes will those be?"

"Sixth year NEWTs students were having Herbology and the care of Magical Creatures class was fourth years, you can get the students names from their Professors. However, I must make this clear," Albus said, stopping to face her. "While you may question the students, if you are going to be interrogating them, unless the student is of age, you will not use any interrogation methods nor press them hard. And I suspect in the case that a underaged student needs to be pressed that there be an adult present. Do I make myself clear?" The Headmaster said, the twinkle gone from his eyes and his voice extremely firm and on the border of threatening.

Alexis nodded, with an internal sigh. 'I really do have my work cut out for me'.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	3. An Unorthodox Scene

_**Chapter 3: An Unorthodox Scene**_

Alexis was rather pleased that the actual scene where the murder or at least the body had been left, was protected by an invisible ward, under which no one could pass without the Headmaster's say so. This meant that the scene was inaccessible to anyone that might want to approach the scene, whether merely curious students, or the murderer themselves. And without the need of supervision from the Headmaster or another Professor.

When Alexis passed under the protective bubble, she stood back and surveyed the scene. She furrowed her brow as she noted that Professor Snape was out in the open. She frowned deeply, thinking that this couldn't be the scene of the crime. After all, it was practically smack dab in the middle of the grounds. It was extremely risky, the murderer could have been seen by anyone. 'Were they that arrogant, that they could kill him in plain sight?'

"Who was the first person to come upon the scene? Other than Miss Jones?" Alexis asked as she pulled out her wand and placed a spell on her hands so she wouldn't leave traces of them all over the place, before proceeding to do the same with her feet. Afterward she placed her bag on the floor and crouched by it. For a few seconds, she dug around the inside before pulling the small notebook and a pen.

"Professor Sprout, she's in the infirmary with her student, I assume you will like to ask her questions?" the Headmaster responded. Alexis merely nodded she stood back and busily scribbled in her notebook before approaching the body.

"Is this how he was first found?" she asked, gesturing to Snape. He was sprawled on his back, his hands practically at his side. Though he was extremely pale, the blood on the front of his robes was mostly dry, though it had soaked his entire front. There parts where the blood was even crusted, though it was hard to tell because the blood could hardly be seen due to the fact that the Professor wore black.

"I believe he was rolled on his back."

"Makes sense," Alexis nodded, seemingly speaking more to herself, crouching down close next to the body and noting some blood stains on the grass. Very little blood, that she hadn't noticed it at first glance. She ran her fingers gingerly across the slash in his chest, before proceeding to look through his robes. She frowned when she didn't find something she expected to find on him. "Has anything been removed?"

"No."

Alexis frowned at this, before turning. 'No wand. Was it lost? Or taken?.' Standing slowly, she walked back, keeping her face staring at the grass. She could see a small trail, where grass was bent and a tiny trickling of blood.

Dumbledore watched the young Auror curiously. Briefly, he wondered whether he should be alarmed, or relieved that Alexis Smith seemed so unconcerned that the body she was aloofly regarding was that of the ex potions-master, one of her own Professor when she was a student. He supposed he should be relieved that the girl was unconcerned as it allowed her to do her job to the best of her abilities.

After all, the girl had once been Severus' student. And despite how smart she had been, despite the fact that she had gone on to become a Prefect and Head Girl and despite the fact that she was a bright student, even she had not escaped the Potions Master's sharp tongue.

Alexis tried to follow the trail but found that the blood ceased outside the bubble. She supposed that considering it had probably rained a bit, in the morning or previous night, the trail was eradicated. Frowning, she stepped back into the bubble and faced Professor Dumbledore.

"Do you have any idea who might have done this?"

"I have a hard time believe anyone in my staff would do this. Or any of the children for that matter. Most of the staff is quite used to Professor Snape's... personality. As for the students, I'm sure many would desire something particularly nasty upon Severus, but between the thought and the act..." the Headmaster trailed off with a shrug.

Alexis stared at the Headmaster with a raised brow. "Are you always so blase when someone on your staff is killed? Or has the last six years rendered you immune," Alexis asked, not unkindly. "Last year, I believe Dolores Umbridge ran into some trouble in the Forbidden Forrest. The year before that an imposter-Moody was submitted to a Dementors Kiss. The year before that, you hired a werewolf who quit after running lose and almost attacking a couple students. The year before that, Gilderoy Lockhart was somehow damaged to the point he's permanent interned in St. Mungos. And before that, another mysterious death. I know that even in my years in school, a Defense Professor never lasted more than a year, but none of them ever were committed such harm."

"What can I say, the last six years have been anything but ordinary," the Headmaster said with a shrug.

"Perhaps all these strange occurrences will die down when Harry Potter has finished his schooling. I understand he's always at the center of everything that goes wrong in this school," Alexis said, looking at the Headmaster.

Albus stared with twinkling eyes at the girl, wondering what she was getting at. "I suppose its one of the consequences of having a target literally etched on one's forehead."

Alexis didn't make a reply to that. Merely stood, surveying the body and the scene, the cogs of her brain working. "I imagine there have been other strange occurrences this year. I would like to hear them. Perhaps there is something there to help me riddle this out."

Albus sighed. "Katie Bell was cursed during the first trip to Hogsmead, touching a dark object she was set to deliver under the imperious curse, to me. She was in St. Mungos until recently. Ronald Weasley was poisoned at the beginning of March drinking mead from Professor Slughorn, who was intending to give it to me. Harry Potter, Ron's best friend, saved his life."

"Harry Potter," Alexis said, bemused. However, she shook her head. "Doesn't seem that they're related. After all, _those_ plots have the common goal of getting to you, and for all intents and purposes, failed," Alexis said, turning to Professor Snape's lifeless body. "_This_ was pretty direct. However, it wouldn't really hurt. I would like to speak to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Katie Bell. After interviewing Professor Sprout. I think it would be all right to remove Professor Snape. Although a St. Mungo's Healer should run diagnostics before his arrangements for burial or whatever are made," Alexis stated.

"Katie, Harry and Ron are Gryffindors." Albus informed with a weary sigh.

"And where would Professor Sprout be?" Alexis asked, moving back to her bag and sipping it up. She hoisted it on her shoulder as she turned to Professor Dumbledore, however, she wasn't looking at him but rather doing something in her notebook quickly. He stared at the girl, thinking that she was rather all over the place.

Blasé as he may seem to her about Snape's murder, he was very much interested in knowing who had killed his spy and ruined all his plans. Though, he wasn't heartless as just to be thinking about himself and his schemes. It hurt to think of Severus, who he still often saw as that broken and strange child, come to this. For his life, and his second chance, to be squandered by someone like this. Despite the task he'd set for Severus, he'd hoped that in the end, the boy would live to be able to take back his life and... be happy.

"I imagine the Hospital wing," he answered, deep in thought. "Wouldn't you rather see to your room?"

"Not just yet," she replied, as she walked out of the bubble and waved to him before striding up to the castle. She had a lot of work to do.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review.**


	4. Mother Hen, The Red, And the Chosen One

_**Chapter 4: Mother Hen, The Red, And The Chosen One**_

"Professor Sprout? My name is Alexis Smith. I'm looking into the murder of Professor Snape and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions," Alexis said, speaking in a low but stern Professional voice. The woman, who was hovering over a bed on a female student, merely nodded in a daze.

Alexis took time to note the girl that lay asleep on the bed. The girl was not particularly tall, and was slightly overweight for a girl her age and stature. Her face, was not unpretty, though Alexis imagined the girl must get quite some grief over the somewhat large and protruding mole on the left side of her face by her jaw. Alexis imagined the girl probably used her straight blonde hair to cover it up.

Stepping away from the bed, she felt Professor Sprout behind her. "Is that Megan Jones?" Alexis asked gently when she turned to face the woman. The Herbology Professor nodded, her eyes watery as she stared forlornly at her student lying prostrate on the hospital bed.

She'd already spoken to Madam Pomfrey about the girl. Much to Alexis' annoyance, the girl was in a catatonic state and there was no way to snap her out of it, so whatever the girl knew or saw, was trapped inside her. All the girl could do now was sit for long periods of time without moving or saying anything, or reacting at all to her surroundings. They'd had to use charms to get her to lay down and shoved a potion down her mouth for her to sleep.

Normally, Alexis could use Virataserum and simply get around it. As an Auror she was authorized to use it on her cases as the need arose. However, being as Megan Jones was underage, she couldn't do a thing. Not without the consent of her parents, and the chances of that happening were slim to none. Most parents closed rank around their children when they thought any possible threat to them.

"Professor, I just need to ask you what happened this morning. Could you tell me?" she said politely.

Professor Sprout nodded and took a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe her eye while Alexis opened her notebook once more. "I usually eat a light breakfast, and head out to the Greenhouses before class starts. As you must remember, depending on the lesson plan and the class, we use different ones. Today I had the sixth years and I was coming out of the castle and heading to them, when I heard a scream," she paused at this.

Alexis waited patiently for the woman to recover herself. Sometimes when witnesses were retelling an event, there were parts of it, that for one reason or other, caused then anxiety. Alexis wasn't surprised that hearing a scream had done so to the woman. And Professor Sprout had always had a sort of maternal, nurturing personality.

After some sniffling and getting control once more of her breathing, Professor Sprout went on. "Of course, I ran to the direction of the screaming, but by the time I got there, she had stopped screaming. Megan was kneeling, with this horror struck look on her face, and her mouth open, but she wasn't making a sound. I tried to talk to her, shake her, but she just didn't notice me.

"Then I followed her eyes, wondering what she was staring at and I saw him," Professor Sprout said, her eyes clouding over as if reliving the moment. "He was like a large ink stain on the grass. I thought it was rather odd, knew something was terribly wrong. I thought perhaps he'd been attacked, or stunned, I never imagined-"

"Then what happened?" Alexis prompted gently after a few minutes of silence.

"I approached him, calling his name. When I got to him and rolled him over... the first thing I noticed was that he was so pale. I looked down and... there was so much blood on his robes," at this, the woman burst into fresh tears. Alexis frowned slightly but comforted the woman by patting her. After a few more minutes, the Herbology Professor calmed enough to speak once more.

"That's when Hagrid got there. I told him to stay there, after I recovered a bit from the shock. I told him I would go to inform the Headmaster and if any other students should come near, to keep them away. I had to levitate Megan onto a stretcher to bring her to the Hospital Wing, before heading to see the Headmaster," Professor Sprout went on, barreling through the end of her tale. "By the time we got back, there were so many students gathered trying to see. Professor Dumbledore sent all the children back to the castle and cancelled Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures for the day, and also wouldn't let students out on the grounds. After the Headmaster I arrived, I went back to check on Megan."

"Professor Sprout, did you notice anything strange about Professor Snape lately?" In response, the older woman shook her head. "What about yesterday? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?" Professor Sprout once more shook her head once more. Alexis sighed, she hadn't had very much hope the woman would be able to provide anymore information. "Professor Sprout, I would like to ask you for a roster, of your class from this morning? Maybe one of them saw something. It needn't be just at this moment, but perhaps by dinner?"

"Of course," Professor Sprout said with a nod of her head.

"Thank you, Professor. I hope for a speedy recovery for Miss Jones."

XX

After that, Alexis had gone to see Professor McGonagall, expecting she'd be in her office, if not teaching class. It appeared that she was on break, but in her office as Alexis had expected.

First she has asked to speak with Katie Bell, as she was the first to be attacked that school year. However, it had led to nothing. The girl didn't remember anything. Alexis supposed she expected that, after all if she had, the culprit behind the other attacks would have been apprehended already.

Ron Weasley arrived with Harry Potter in tow. "Weasley, Potter, this is Auror Smith. She is here to ask you a few questions," Professor McGonagall stated as they walked in. The boys exchanged glances, both of them apparently on edge about this. Alexis wondered if this was out of normal teenage anxiety about being questioned by an authority figure, or if there was more to it.

"What about, Professor?" Harry asked. 'I always imagined him taller and more impressive,' Alexis thought.

"I understand you were poisoned Mr. Weasley. I'd like to hear about it, from the start," Alexis replied, as she scribbled in her notebook. She noted how the boys seemed to relax.

"Well," the boy started uncertainly, turning red. "I was in Gryffindor tower and I sort of ate some chocolates left for Harry. I didn't know that someone had put a love-potion in 'em and when Harry saw he took me to see Slughorn for an antidote, which he gave and after we were toasting with some mead. And thats it," the boy said with a shrug. "The rest gets sort of fuzzy."

"Mr. Potter? Anything more you'd like to add."

"When Ron drank the mead he sort of fell, and was foaming at the mouth. And I used a bezoar," Harry said with a shrug. Alexis eyed the boys for a moment. The story seemed true enough. She sighed and prepared to tell them that was all. "Are you here about the poison and the necklace?" Harry suddenly asked, unable it seemed, to help himself.

"No Mr. Potter, I am here about the murder of Professor Snape. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think they are connected?" Harry asked.

Alexis eyed the boy, wondering if he was always so inquisitive, or if there was a point. "Not at this time. Is there something you would like to say, Mr. Potter? Something perhaps that you think may be pertinent to Professor Snape's murder, or the two prior incidents?" The boy hesitated for a moment, before shaking his head. However, Alexis could see that he was doubtful. But she didn't want to push the matter at the present, knowing that it wouldn't particularly help. "Very well then, that is all."

The two boys nodded and hurriedly left the office. Once they were gone, Alexis turned to Professor McGonagall. "Professor, I would like to ask you about Mr. Potter's years here. I've come to understand that they have been quite... eventful."

"I don't see how this pertains to your job, Miss Smith," Professor McGonagall said warily.

"I'm sure it doesn't pertain strictly to the case, but I need a certain understanding about the castle's inhabitants and what life here has been like for them, if I wish to find the culprit behind Professor Snape's murder. Mr. Potter's involvement in the biggest events can't be helped," Alexis stated calmly. "This will be off the record, strictly confidential and I won't put details of Potter's school years in my report, if you wish."

In response to this Minerva McGonagall only sighed and motioned for her to have a seat. Though what she herself was aware of was not everything, it still made for a lengthy tale. Alexis tried not to make herself too comfortable as she sat opposite of the woman before her. She needed to be alert, for whatever she found out. You never knew what would shed a light on a case.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	5. The Gnarled and Twisted Snakes

_**Chapter 5: The Gnarled and Twisted Snakes**_

The following morning, Alexis sorted through all the students who had Care of Magical Creatures the previous morning. She listened to them all, and wasn't surprised that none of them had any information that was particularly of any use. Though, she did wonder if she was ever as young and incredibly annoying as half the kids she spoke to.

The evening prior both Hagrid and Professor Sprout had delivered their respective roster. After being taken to her rooms, Alexis had spent most of the evening, going over what she knew so far and then finally looking at the rosters.

Being as she would be dealing with teenagers, she didn't expect anyone of them to give something away. However, those who would give information, would give pieces of the puzzle without knowing that they were pieces.

It wasn't until late in the evening, that she had gotten to studying the roster of the sixth years... that she came across the name.

Tracey Davis.

Alexis nearly reeled at the sight of it. Her mind recalled earlier that day, when she was walking up with Hagrid, and she came across that rude girl. Her heart started beating hard, as she remembered the way the girl had glared at her, as if just by looking at her with so much hate that she would drop dead. 'Does she not remember me? Or does she hate me? But why would she, I didn't do anything to her.'

Sufficed to say that, Alexis had been looking forward to that particular interview more than any other. Although, she felt anxious about it. Whoever Tracey Davis had turned out to be, she wasn't the little girl that Alexis remembered.

XX

"Draco is missing again," Tracey commented in a bored tone as she leaned against a wall in the hallway. She felt rather annoyed to be pulled out of Potions that morning.

Blaise turned and looked at Tracey with an annoyed look. "What is your obsession with Draco?"

Tracey rolled her eyes. "I'm really getting sick of this. I don't care about Draco, but don't you think its strange that he missed Potions today?"

"Not particularly, he goes missing a lot lately. His cutting classes was inevitable," Blaise replied coldly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall. He looked around the crowded hallway where they were joined by a couple Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. "So do you suppose this is about Professor Snape?" Blaise asked, his tone lower and more sedated.

"Obviously," Tracey snapped in annoyance. "This is our whole Herbology class. Only people missing are Potter and the Weasel and I heard they were already interviewed from Pansy."

"Interviewed?" Blaise asked. Tracey turned her gaze from their classmates to look at him.

"Honestly Blaise, have you gone stupid lately? Interviewed by the Auror looking into Snape's death. That's why we're all here," Tracey said. Blaise, who was very suspicious of her lately, turned to look at Theodore who was standing on his other side, nose buried in the book. However, he was nodding at Blaise's unasked question. Theodore always proved to be incredibly alert of his surroundings while reading. "I'm going to the washroom, I'll be back. DON'T FOLLOW ME," she said, glaring at Blaise who had taken to stalking her of late.

Tracey marched away and down the hall to the nearest girl's lavatory. She needed to clear her head.

Sometimes school, all the idiots that she was surrounded by, even her friends, were a little too much. Blaise especially these days. He made her want to curse him into oblivion sometimes.

Striding into the washroom she made her way straight to the sinks and opened a tap of cold water and splashed it on her face. Everything was so different now.

She could recall being eleven... from the first moment she had met Blaise, he'd been all she ever wanted. He was so cute, even then. And it seemed the older he got, the more handsome he became. He was tall, dark and completely debonair. He was smooth, and his voice was rich and deep.

But that had all changed. She wasn't even sure when she started to see him for what he really was. 'When had the rose-tinted glasses been removed?' she wondered to herself as she pressed her cold and wet hands to her cheeks, before wiping them off on a paper towel.

_The air was burning in her lungs as her chest constricted, but she ignored it as she continued to pump her legs. Her mind was a whirlwind though she could hardly think or hold a coherent thought. All she could feel was pain and a frightful desperation to get away. _

_She was running awkwardly, as she was pressing both her hands to her stomach, one overlapping the other. It made her feel unbalanced as she raced through quasi-familiar streets. _

_She wasn't sure how she managed to stay on her feet, with her head was spinning like a top. Her lungs and airways felt like they were on fire. And her heart was thundering so hard in her chest, that she felt the vibration all over her upper torso. It was painful. _

_The air sliced through her nostrils and down her wind pipe like knives. She felt extremely light headed. However, she couldn't stop running. Her life depended on it. She needed to keep going. Every passing second, was a second she did not have._

_She was aware that the blood was still gushing out. Not matter how hard she pressed one hand over the other to staunch the blood, her hands were slippery and moved with every step. Even standing still though, the blood would keep pouring out. She was loosing too much blood, and without having to think she knew it was imperative to keep going. _

_However, there was only so much the body could take. Already, she could feel herself becoming delirious. And her legs, were growing wobbly. She wasn't used to this kind of sprinting. Much less doing so while wounded and bleeding out. She stumbled a couple times, but through sheer will she managed to retain her footing. _

"_Have to make it... just a little... farther," she gasped to herself as she continued to run through the twilit streets. The sun was almost completely beyond the horizon._

_Finally out of a labyrinth of alleys, she sprinted out of the mouth of one and tumbled into the street. She fell forward on the road with a grunt, landing hard on her knees and on her left arm and shoulder. As her elbow came into contact with the stone, instantaneously a spasm of pain ricocheted up her arm._

_A moan escaped her lips as she lay for a moment in the middle of the empty street. Her eyes struggled to stay open, even as her vision started blurring. "Get up," she muttered to herself. "Get up," she told herself after a moment, more forcefully, her tone almost defiant._

_Using her battered elbow, she lifted herself shakily. Tremulously, she got onto her legs, before hobbling towards the door at the end. She could feel a slight ache in her knees, from where she banged them when she fell. However, that felt dull compared to the massive pain in her right hand. _

_Once she got to the door, she leaned against it and used whatever strength she had left to kick the door. Resting her head against the door, she concentrated on getting air back into her lungs, trying to calm her fast beating heart, and trying to keep pressure on the wound, all the while willing herself to stay awake and on her feet. _

_She was close to passing out, she knew. Desperately, she kicked at the door as sweat started to drip down her face."Please Salazar," she whispered to no one in particular. She didn't believe in gods in this cruel world. And even if she was nothing more than a filthy half-blood, Slytherins took care of their young. _

_When the door suddenly wrenched open, Tracey nearly fell face forward. Well she did, but she was lucky that the solid body of a man stood between her and the floor. "What the-" a deep baritone growled as strong arms held her in a vice grip. _

_He was holding her awkwardly, but Tracey was now too far gone to care for anything but being grateful. _

_His hands struggled to find purchase on her arms, or body, or anything to keep her upright. Tracey sighed as she leaned her head on what she assumed was his chest, while her legs struggled not to buckle underneath her. She lost the struggle as she suddenly felt herself falling. The man sunk underneath the dead weight, but cradled her from further harm. _

"_Tracey?" as startled voice asked from overhead as she felt cool fingers brushing stray strands from her face._

_Her eyes opened, she hadn't even been aware that she closed them. Through a bleary gaze, she saw a patch of something pale, shrouded by black. She felt her head, resting on his lap, along with her neck and shoulders; she was lying face up, though she could feel her legs bent or almost curled underneath her. _

"_H'lo, sir," she struggled to say. There was no way she could managed Professor at a time like this, hovering so close to oblivion._

"_What happened to you?" he asked concerned as his dark gaze stared at her bloodied white shirt. There were spatters of blood on her neck, chin and chest. However, most of the blood had soaked through the bottom of her shirt, where she had held her wounded hand. _

"_Wasss-ss s-stabbed," she coughed out she she tried to raise her right hand to show him. Her face contorted in pain as she moved it. However, the pain was now too much. She could no longer stay awake. The darkness enveloped her and the last thing she recalled was his piercing gaze._

Tracey found herself staring at her hand. It was clenched so tightly on the sink, her knuckles were white, and she could see a faint scar running in a somewhat diagonal line through the back of it. Though there was a similar line in her palm. The knife had stabbed straight through her hand. Of course, considering it had been aimed at her upper chest, she was lucky.

That night last summer, he had saved her life. Tracey wished she could say that, that was the night that her whole world changed, but life was not so simple as that. The world was always changing, and she knew that humans were always growing, sometimes more gnarled and twisted with each of life's bitter experiences.

Tracey wanted to drown her head under water. Life would never be the same, not since that night. However, without him...

"What are you doing here?" she heard a suddenly mercurial and obnoxious voice scream behind her. Tracey didn't even bother turning around and looked into the mirror so see a vague figure staring at her through rimmed glasses. Tracey grit her teeth. She hated this castle, and all its inhabitants, even the ghost.

XX

Alexis had made her way through the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws without much of anything. Running a hand through her hair, she felt she was getting to her wits end as the last Hufflepuff came into the room. None of the boys had anything useful at all to say, though one or two may have expressed an unwise amount contentment at the Head of Slytherin's demise.

Alexis knew from her own experience that Snape had never been kind or even in the least bit fair. However, even she had to wonder if perhaps this level of callousness was uncalled for, even for a man such as him.

Staring at the last of the Hufflepuffs' she hoped against hope that this one would have something, ANYTHING, that could be a possible lead.

However, as she looked at Susan Bones, she couldn't help wonder at the girl. She looked nothing like Madam Bones, who had passed in the last year. For a moment, Alexis took a moment to look the girl up and down. She was in every sense of the word, a typical, teenage girl. Nothing about her stood out. She was bland. Except for her eyes, which were somewhat dull, though behind Alexis could see glimpses of a girl who had once been kind.

"Susan Bones?" When the girl merely nodded she went on, "I'd like to ask you some questions."

"I don't know anything about Professor Snape's murder. I didn't even see the body. I was running late for Herbology that morning," she immediately stated. The girl put a valiant effort into keeping her voice steady, but Alexis heard her falter once. Her voice nearly cracking near the end.

"Yes but I was wondering what you could tell me about Megan Jones."

Susan chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and she fidgeted with her hands. "Megan? I don't know... I don't really know her that well. She's a bit... well strange."

"Strange how?" Alexis asked, furrowing her brow. When she had asked the boys, none of them had very much to say about her. They had merely shrugged or exchanged looks saying she was weird. But when she asked what they meant, they merely shrugged and didn't elaborate further.

"She's sort of really... intense. She's kind of creepy at times, actually," Susan said, for a moment looking as if she she were thinking. Catching the sudden look that passed over Alexis' features, she went on. "Oh, but she's harmless," she went on to say. "She's actually rather sad. People've always sort of given her a hard time, especially the boys. She hasn't got any friends. All she has is her cat, and he went missing a couple days ago. She's been really broken up about it."

Alexis furrowed her brow even further. "Her cats been missing?" she asked. She would think nothing of this, but it seemed rather strange to her. Susan nodded though after a moment, it looked like she had something to say, but then stopped herself. "What is it, Susan?"

Susan fidgeted for a moment. "Well I don't know if this... well its just something Megan thought," Susan started slowly, unsure. Alexis nodded and motioned for her to go on. "Well Megan sort of suspected someone stole her cat.. to hurt her. It wouldn't really be far fetched for someone to pull a mean joke on Megan, but she was dead sure she knew who it was."

"And do you know who she suspected?" Alexis asked, to which Susan nodded immediately.

"She was saying it was Tracey Davis, she's a Slytherin in our year. She's standing outside, actually, with her housemates," Susan stated. Alexis felt an a pang shoot through her and her eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously. However, she forced this away and forced herself to ask in her professional tone.

"And why did Megan suspect Tracey Davis?"

"Well for the last several months, Tracey's been very hostile towards Megan. I mean plenty of Slytherins are mean-spirited, but Tracey's never really been one of them. She does have a bit of a short-temper and she can be a bit arrogant and have a bad attitude at times... but she doesn't really... go out of her way to be cruel to someone. But all of a sudden, she did with Megan. I'm not sure why though."

"Very well, Susan, that will be all for now. Thank you so much and please ask the Theodore Nott in," Alexis said, jotting down notes. Susan took this for dismissal and left the empty, spare classroom. A moment later, Alexis looked up when a lanky boy came in and shut the door behind himself. At the sight of him, Alexis tried to keep herself from grimacing.

The boy's father was a known Death Eater and currently in Azkaban. As she studied hims pale face, she expected to find anger there. She was instead disturbed to find that the boy bore a blank expression and even his eyes were dull. Briefly, Alexis wondered how many kids she had seen today with dull eyes. 'Far too many for comfort', she thought. 'This war is draining them."

"Theodore, I'm Auror Smith. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your Head of House?"

"I wish I could help and catch the person who did this, because whatever people might say about him, he was a good Head of House. However, I don't know anything about it," Theodore said coldly as he straightened his gangly form. She was sure she could hear bones popping from where she sat as he straightened. The boy hunched. 'One day he's going to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame if he's not mindful of his posture.'

"Oh? What did he do that made him a good Head of House?" she asked. Theodore shrugged.

"You wouldn't understand, you're an outsider."

"An outsider?"

"You're not one of his Snakes," Theodore said. For the first time, she heard an inflection of his tone, it was derisive of her.

Alexis raised a brow as she looked at the extremely tall, teenaged boy. She was rather interested about the way he referred to them as belonging to Snape. It seemed a loyal gesture, one she would never expect from a Slytherin. Even as a Ravenclaw, and though knowing several Slytheirns in her school years that were all right, she had never trusted any of them. Not for nothing the emblem of Slytherin was a snake, and you had to be mindful of snakes. They could bite you at any given moment. "And how do you know I'm not a Slytherin."

"Because you told me," he responded. Alexis furrowed her brow in confusion. "You didn't say Professor Snape, you said '_Your_ Head of House'. If you were a Slytherin that might have been OUR Head of House. Besides even without that, its painfully obvious you're not a Slytherin. Now I'm sorry I have nothing to say of help, and if that will be all, I have lessons to attend," he said, turning abruptly and leaving.

After he was gone, the door opened again and another Slytherin boy came in. This one was exceedingly handsome and had dark skin, long lashes, and slanty eyes. "Blaise Zabini?" Alexis asked. The boy crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, his beautiful eyes glaring at her. There was a haughty look on his face as he looked at her. "I need to ask you some questions."

"Ask away then," he said imperially, though his tone markedly bored. Alexis wasn't surprised to see this one so disdainful and even suspicious of her. As an Auror, there were plenty of Slytherins who would be. And though this one had no ties to Death Eaters, his mother was certainly notorious. The Auror department had been trying for years to catch her, but the woman was too smart and powerful to slip up.

"I would like to ask you about Professor Snape. Have you noted anything strange about him lately," she asked. To which Blaise merely shrugged and shook his head. Alexis pressed her lips in a thin line. "As your Head of House, how was he?"

"He was our Head of House, what more is there to it," he asked in slight annoyance.

"That's all you have to say about him? Aren't you one of his snakes? Surely you must have some words of praise for him."

A snarl came over the boys lips at that. He uncrossed his arms and turned his eyes to gaze at her in a fiery way. "HIS snakes? Those are his pets, the one's he would let get away with bloody murder, and I wasn't one of his damn pets!" Blaise spat out, as if saying he wouldn't condescend to being any teacher's pet.

Alexis was nonpluseed by his outburst. However, this bit was interesting information. 'So these 'snakes' weren't just Slytherins, but Slytherin's singled out by Snape?' Alexis took a brief moment to consider this. She was aware of the 'Slug club' due to working in the Minsitry and being well aware of the influence that Horace Slughorn extended for those that had made his Slug Club. 'Did Snape have a similar thing going?'

"Oh, so you didn't make the cut? What, weren't you smart enough?" Alexis goaded, guessing that he was simply envious that he wasn't given _more_ special privileges by Snape. She didn't imagine Snape going to the length of Horance Slughorn. But she needed to know more about this.

"I'm one of the best in out year!" he bit out.

Alexis furrowed her brow. 'Not about intelligence then,' she thought to herself. "Than why aren't you one of his snakes?"

"I don't know how he chose his pets. You should ask one of them, what's so damn special about them?" Blaise stated coldly, crossing his arms.

"Do you know who his _pets_ were?"

"Draco Malfoy heads up that list. Along with Theodore Nott, and Tracey Davis, they're the only ones I know of in our year," Blaise said, coldly. Alexis furrowed her brow. That was the second time Tracey had been mentioned in one day.

"Do you know Tracey Davis?" she asked. At this, the boy tensed. Alexis wondered at that, as she felt him scrutinize her.

"She's my girlfriend," he replied after a moment. Alexis couldn't help the grimace at this. 'She was dating... this arrogant pretty boy?'

"Have you noticed any animosity between her and Megan Jones of late?"

"The girl who stalked Snape?"

"What do you mean?"

"The blonde 'Puff who trailed after him everywhere like a sick puppy?" he asked snidely.

"Did Megan Jones do that?"

"Yeah... she was a right little pug. Drew his name with hearts all over her books. She annoyed the piss out of Trace, because she's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Bad things happen to people like that," Blaise said. Alexis didn't miss the meaningful look he shot her way.

"You can send Draco Malfoy in after you, we're done."

"Draco's not out there," he informed her, with a smirk. "He was skiving off Potions today."

"Then send it Tracey Davis," Alexis said as she started jotting down notes in her notebook. She didn't look up when the boy left, or when the door opened and shut again after. She was busy jotting down questions that came up and things of interest.

"I don't have all day, I do have studies to get back to," a cold voice snapped impatiently. Alexis made sure she was composed before looking up and setting down her quill.

She inhaled a bit sharply to find herself staring at that rude girl. This girl's eyes were very much alive. They were green like moss, or olives and glinting fiercely as they glared at her. If looks could kill, this girl would be burning her in the fires of hell with her eyes.

"Tracey... I'm-"

"I know who you fucking are, Alex. Unlike you, I fucking remember having a sister," Tracey snapped, balling her hands into fist at her side to keep her from reaching into her robe pocket for her wand. "Just get on and do your job, because I don't particularly want to see you."

"Tracey... I know I haven't seen your in a while and I'm sorry-"

"Your apology means nothing to me! After this is over, I never want to see you again!" Tracey snarled.

"Tracey I don't understand, why are you so angry with me? I know I haven't been there-"

"Haven't been there?" Tracey asked incredulously as she looked at Alexis. "That's the biggest understatement in history. You fucking just dropped off the face of the planet. You never once visited, or even fucking wrote! For the last seven years, you haven't given a shit about me. You completely abandoned me-"

"That's not fair, Tracey! I didn't abandon you. I left you with mother, its not like we were orphans and I left you at some orphanage instead of looking after you," Alexis said, jumping to her feet.

Tracey forced herself to swallow all her vitriol then and there. Rubbing a hand over her face, she reigned in all her emotions. After a moment, she looked at her older sister coldly. 'Half-sister,' Tracey reminded herself. "Forget it Alexis, you wouldn't understand and I'm not explaining it to you. Get on with your questions and find out who killed my Head of House."

Alexis frowned. That was the second time she was told, she wouldn't understand. 'How can I, when they're not telling me?' However, she could see what it was. It happened among any group of people with something in common. They closed ranks and left out anyone who didn't belong in their group. Running a hand through her short brown hair, she wished she had a fag.

"Please Tracey, I know I haven't been the greatest sister for the last seven years. I know I neglected you and I'm not gonna make an excuse for it. I know I shouldn't have done that. But please, I love you-"

"You don't abandon people you love," Tracey spat out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You keep saying that as if I fed you to the wolves-"

"You may as well have, you left me to fend for myself. You think mother was strict when you were around? After you left she-" Tracey caught herself and growled. "I'm not getting into this with you. Are you gonna ask questions about Professor Snape or not. If not I'm leaving," Tracey said, turning to go.

"No, wait," Alexis called after her, her mind in a whirl. She felt something tightening in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to know what Tracey had been about to say, but she knew asking her would only get her to leave. So instead, she sighed and sat back down. 'You have a job to do, never forget that,' she told herself. "Tell me about Megan Jones."

Tracey was startled by this. She had expected questions about Snape, not about Megan. "What about her?"

"What do you know about her? And her missing cat?"

Tracey's face darkened at the mention of this. "Megan is a half-wit. She'd an idiot. She's nosy, melodramatic, foolish and she cries about everything. And as for her cat, I don't know anything about that. For all anyone knows, Megan suffocated it herself in one of her strangle-hold hugs."

Alexis furrowed her brow. She felt an ache as she stared at Tracey. The look of permanent anger and hatred etched on her pretty features, and the venom she spat... she could still remember the girl she had been. Tracey had been quiet as a child, but she'd smile. She had the cutest smile. And whenever she got hurt, she always wanted Alex to kiss her boo-boos. She had been a sweet girl, despite being quiet and bookish. Alexis wondered what had happened.

It was obvious Tracey didn't like Megan. Why exactly she wasn't sure. There was something about Megan that simply grated on Tracey's nerves, her personality and intelligence it seemed. However, Alexis felt that there had to be more. Tracey had become someone angry, but did she hate everyone like that, or was Megan set apart? And if so, why?

"Tell me... how do you become one of the Professor's _snakes_?"

Tracey furrowed her brow at this and looked at her suspiciously. "That's just what he calls us all, first year. Or rather what most of Slytherins call ourselves. Its an unofficial term we use ourselves, no one else," Tracey stated coolly.

"There are those under the impression that its just a term for select Slytherins, those that Snape chooses for whatever reason as his... favored students," Alexis put, thinking better not to mention pet's. She guessed that there were never any students who liked to think of themselves as a teachers pet's, except those really obnoxious over-achievers.

"I'll explain it to you and try to keep up, I'm not repeating this. And if anyone asks, you don't know about this. The inner-workings of our house, are to remain in our house," Tracey said warningly. "First year, we are gathered round in the common room around the Prefects, Quidditch Captain and on those occasions that the Head Boy or Girl is from Slytherin, by them. They give us a speech mandated by Professor Snape on what it means to be a snake, and about upholding our House's honor. We are told that being in Slytherin, our behavior not only reflects on ourselves but on our House and by extension, on our Head of House.

"Contrary to everyone's belief, Professor Snape is harder on us, than on any other house. He does not take kindly to us embarrassing him. We are also told that we must look out for one another, in the face of anyone not in our house. That we snakes must stick together and look out for each other. Failure to do so and it gets to Professor Snape results in dire punishment.

"Furthermore we are told that should we ever need help, to not hesitate to ask an older student or the Professor himself. And that we can trust Professor Snape with anything. Even tell him some mischief we have done and while he will be upset, he would protect us. Of course no one believes that last part."

Alexis stared at Tracey with a somewhat dry mouth. Professor Snape had gone to those lengths to ensure his House's protection, and camaraderie between all members of Slytheirn? "You're serious? He mandates you look out for each other?"

"Have you ever seen a Slytherin alone?" Tracey asked snidely. "We travel in packs, and not because we enjoy each other's company. Do you think Professor Snape, or any of us are so stupid as not to note that most of the school hates us? If we didn't stick around in groups, we would be attacked all the time by all the other House's. It's survival."

Alexis frowned. Has school always been such a war zone, or was it just the war outside Hogwarts walls that the students felt? Or was it the Slytherins, who always felt they were fighting against the world? Alexis shook her head. Those thoughts weren't really pertaining to the matter she was here to look into.

"So you don't think Professor Snape favors some people in your House more than others?"

Tracey thought for a moment. "Perhaps he does, even mother's have their designated favorites," Tracey said, giving Alexis a pointed and bitter look. "Or perhaps he's just looking out for those who he feels needs his guidance more, I don't know. I can't tell you how his mind works... or well, worked."

"Were you one of his favorites, Tracey?" Alexis asked a bit softly, looking at Tracey intensely. For the first time, Tracey looked away. Her long, dark hair veiled her face from view. After a moment she turned and looked back at Alexis.

"I suppose people would think I was."

"Why?"

"Envy," she said, sounding dead sure that it was just that and nothing more.

"So Snape never got you out of a detention you had with another Professor?" Alexis asked. At this, Tracey colored. However, the look of fury that suddenly came over her face, told Alexis why.

"Who told you that? Because its a lie! Professor Snape may have changed some of them, but I still had to serve them, just with him instead of Filch or Hagrid," she said, her voice trembling as Tracey clenched her fist at her side.

"And why would he do that?"

Tracey shrugged. "He thought that that kind of manual labor for the rules I broke was extreme. Besides, he said students of my intelligence shouldn't be reduced to doing the work of House Elves. That there were more productive ways for me to spend my time."

"So what did you do in his detentions that were more productive."

"He usually allowed me to do my homework, or study. When I was struggling with something, he'd always help. Or I'd have to help him set up for class," Tracey recited coolly. "He said, at least to me, that I was very bright and I should spend my efforts on academic pursuits, not polishing someone else's trophies."

Alexis stared at Tracey and wondered if Snape had cared so much for all his students. She found herself frowning. She'd have preferred going her whole life thinking Snape was a jerk, to find that there was anything at all redeeming in his character.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Please Review!


	6. A Snake Remembers

_**Chapter 6: A Snake Remembers**_

"_Miss Davis," Tracey looked up, but only just barely, ensuring that her hair curtained her face. She felt so drained, all she wanted to do was get into the dorm and crawl into bed. It had been an excruciatingly long and exhausting day. Between the Hogwarts' Express, sitting through a sorting and feast, she was just longing for bed. _

"_Yes, Professor?" she asked, not daring to look up further, for fear her hair would move too much. She knew that by now the glamour she put on her face must be fading, The darkness of the dungeon's halls could only cloak her face so much, and she doubted it was enough. _

"_My office, now," he stated in a tone that allowed for no argument. He didn't wait for a response and merely turned away. Tracey had no choice but to follow through gaggles of other Slytherins, after her Head of House. Once ushered inside his office, he closed the door behind them. _

_All of a sudden, he was in front of her and once of his warm hands was on her chin, forcefully lifting her face to look up at him. With wide eyes, she watched as she lifted his free hand and gently smoothed her hair from her face and then his dark eyes were glued to her features. Those eyes, which she leaned the year before could practically look through your soul, were studying her face. Immediately she felt the need to run away and she struggled to turn her head, trying to get away. _

"_Stay still," he commanded in a hiss. Tracey refused to look at his eyes as she felt the frustration and anger boiling up within her. "What happened to your face, and who did this to you?" he asked in a murderous tone. He spoke in a voice so low, that if he weren't mere inches from her, she was sure she would not have heard him. _

_Tracey closed her eyes and clenched her fist. 'He saw through the glamour.'_

_Tracey knew what hid beneath it. Once she had boarded the train and looked in a hand-held mirror, she 'd cast the glamour herself. For a moment, she wondered if he could see everything, or just caught glimpses where the glamour failed. _

_The first slap had her near the right side of her mouth and busted the edge of her lips. The backhand after it caught the left side of her face. She could still feel its sting. The soreness told her there had to be a bruise across her left cheek and just below her eye. A ring had gauged a cut on her cheekbone. That hurt the worst, it positively burned._

"_Tracey, answer me," he said in a softer voice, causing her eyes to open. She'd known the Professor for just a year, and he'd always appeared stern, cold and hard man. In that time, he'd never called her by her first name or was ever concerned about anything but the quality of her potion, or the essays she turned in. _

_However, she couldn't tell him. Managing to pull her chin away from his now lax grip, she chose to stare at the ground. For a moment, she wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. _

_After several minutes, she heard him sigh, and walk away. She didn't dare look up and hoed that he would soon dismiss her. A moment later her was standing back in front of her, and tilting her up. Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, she shut her eyes against the tears. She hadn't even been aware when they had sprouted in her eyes. _

_The she felt his hands touching her wounded cheek. She gasped and opened her eyes at the sudden tingle of coolness she felt, soothing the affected areas. Through wet eyes, she stared at Snape's frowning face as he stared at his hands, which she noted were putting from kind of cream on her cheek. _

_Averting his eyes, he replaced a top on a tin can he was holding, before puling a vial out of his pocket. "As your Head of House, you can come to me about anything. But I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," he said, his eyes searching hers as his index finger touched the cup on her lip. The touch was only a nano-second, but the tingle it cause was left long after. She could feel the cut disappearing as she stared at his dark eyes. She barely managed a nod of her head, before looking away. Being only twelve, looking up at him put a strain on her neck. He had to be a good two feet taller than her still._

_Snape gave her a moment, but when she said nothing he heaved another heavy sigh. If she didn't know any better she would have said it was laden with emotion. "Very well, Tracey, you may retire to your dorm."_

_Tracey nodded and exited, muttering a "goodnight sir," before doing so. Along the way to the dorm and after crawling into bed, she wondered if would have been better to confide in him. However, she wasn't sure. When the morning came, her bruise and cuts were fully healed._

Tracey leaned against her head-board, lost in thought. 'In those days, I didn't trust him,' she thought to herself.

After the interview, she hadn't returned to Potions. She hadn't seen the point in doing so, the class was almost over by the time she was dismissed. Being as she had a free period, she returned to the dorm. She should be studying, however, she had a lot on her mind. Which was why she currently found herself reclining on her bed with the curtains draw around it for privacy. Not that the other girls she shared the dorm with were about.

For a moment, she went over the interview. She would've been prepared, but bring that it was Alexis she felt even more...Tracey wasn't sure what the word for it was. She supposed she just felt even more alone. But that was something she had felt for almost as long as she had been in school, and even longer than that really. But Snape had changed that... and now she felt not just alone but lost as well.

He kept a close watch on her after that first occasion, always watching her.

_Tracey couldn't keep herself from wincing every time the carriage rocked. Fisting her jeans she screwed her jaw shut tight and tried to keep the waves of nausea at bay. "Trace, are you all right?" she heard a warm, concerned voice next to her ask. Turning to her right, she gave a tight smile to the handsome boy and nodded. "Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly._

_Tracey merely nodded and turned to look out the window. Even through the pain, she felt she could feel a fluttering in her stomach. However, she forgot all about the butterflies, when a sudden jolt of the carriage send a sharp and blinding pain from her ribs, causing her to gasp and clench her pant tighter. She tried to cloak the gasp of pain as a cough, but coughing only intensified the pain. _

_Every now and then, she could feel a gaze on her. Knowing the general direction it came from, Tracey ignored it. _

_Climbing out of the carriage and up the steps to the castle was a trial. By now the potion to numb the pain that she had taken earlier was out of her system and it hurt just to breathe. _

_She had just gotten into the hall, when she suddenly felt someone grab a hold of her arm. It made her vision swim and for a moment, she thought she was going to pass out. "You have to tell Professor Snape, Trace," her head was spinning as she tried to look at Theodore who was standing next to her and hold her arm. At thirteen, Theodore already stood at five feet and a half. _

"_What are you talking about? Tell him what, Theo?" Tracey asked through gritted teeth as she tried to gingerly extricate her arm from his grasp. It caused her to sway on her feet as they stood before the Great Hall. Thankfully, Blaise had proceeded into the Great Hall to eat without realizing their absence._

_Theo did not let go of her arm and tried to steady her without causing her further harm."You're scared of going home. I know because I've been there. You have to tell him, or eventually she's going to kill you," Theo said, ducking down to speak into her ear, so no one else could hear. There were still students back from Easter Holidays streaming through the front doors and into the Great Hall._

_Tracey closed her eyes, in part to hide tired that had sprouted due to the pain, and in part to try and stop the wretched spinning in her vision. "I don't know what you're talking about," she grit out. _

_Theo didn't say anything but started to drag her down to the dungeons. Tracey could only choke down the sobs and bile, and hold onto Theodore to say anything in response. She could feel the perspiration sprouting on her forehead and upper lip and back. Her vision was swimming. _

_She heard a door swing open and felt Theo half carry, half drag her as a familiar voice stopped in the middle of saying, "What is the meaning of this." Immediately she heard the scrape of a chair and footsteps, as a door closed. Immediately she head the scrape of a chair and footsteps, as a door closed. "Tell him, Trace. Tell him or I will," Theodore threatened softly. _

_Tracey felt her throat thickening. Speaking as impossible. Her vision seemed to alternate between complete darkness, and the dark of the dungeons. Snape's office and Theo were nothing more than blurs. Struggling to breathe, she gritted her teeth and grudgingly moved her free arm and pushed the hem of her shirt up. She could feel tears streaming down her face and she groaned when her fingers grazed her ribs. She was dimly aware of a gasp, though it was hard to tell with her own labored panting, before hearing a flurry of movement. _

"_Theodore, help her into a seat," Snape commanded. She could hear him move away as Theodore helped her delicately into a plush chair. However, Tracey didn't allow herself to sit back and remained rigidly upright. _

_Seconds later she felt Snape's presence before her. Not long after, she felt someone tilting her head back and was sure that more than one substance was poured down her throat. Between struggling to breathe and trying to drink the foul tasting potions, she choked quite a bit, while a hand rubbed soothing circled in her back. Very soon, she felt the pain recede enough so that she could focus on what was happening around her. _

_She was startled to find that she was sitting in Snape's chair, behind his desk and that Snape was kneeling on the floor before her, with his wand pointed at her blackened skin. As for Theo, he was standing next to her watching as Snape healed her, with a looked of slight awe on his face. "No less than five broken ribs... broken days ago," she head Snape muttering to himself, before his eyes suddenly darted to look at her, his black eyes fierce and seemingly on fire. "Who the blood he did this to you?"_

"_Tell him, Trace," Theodore prodded gently. Tracey shut her lips into a tight line and shook her head defiantly. She couldn't. She couldn't afford to. _

"_I can't," she simply stated. _

"_She lives with her mother, sir. I suspect its her. She slaps Tracey around, I've seen the bruises and cuts and now she has progressed to break her bones, if she hadn't already before," Theodore stated, causing Severus to look up at him for a moment and nod. _

_Tracey looked away from both Snape and Theo and clenched her teeth. Theodore wasn't the only Slytherin to know she lived alone with her mother, but she was sure that he was the only one who had noticed the bruises and cuts. She hadn't told ever told anyone about the abuse, but she was surprised Theo knew. After all, he was smart. And if she could figure that he was abused by his father, she was sure that he could figure out the same for her. After all, they both knew from personal experience what the abuse looked like. But for him to betray her like this?_

"_Why didn't you tell me before, Tracey?" Snape asked as he put his wand away and looked up at her. He made no move to stand._

_Tracey turned and looked at Theo and leveled at him a glare as she responded. "Because its nobody's business but mine," she replied, turning back to look at Snape. "And you wouldn't understand."_

"_What's there to understand, your mother uses you as a punching bag," Snape said snidely, looking up at her coldly. "But you should have told me this before-"_

"_Why? So that you could inform the Ministry? So that the Aurors could come in and take her? And what am I supposed to do? My father's in Azkaban! What just dump Tracey at the orphanage and she'll be all better?" Tracey yelled, her face turning red with the anger she felt. Snape didn't even bat a lash. "No thank you, I can take care of myself," Tracey said, moving to try and stand so she could leave. But Snape grabbed her and pinned her to the seat. _

"_Yes I can see that. Five broken ribs... but that's not the first time you've broken something, was it?" Snape asked in a falsely sweet tone. "No the first time was something small. Maybe all she did was pull you so hard your arm popped out of its socket. And she took you to a muggle hospital, and the stupid muggles bought her story of how you just fell from a tree or something like that. And once she saw how easy it was, she wasn't scared anymore and became even more dangerous."_

_Tracey felt her breathing coming shallowly as she looked at Snape. A flash of recognition passed through her mind as she looked at Snape appraisingly. 'Has he know from personal experience, or has he dealt with so many abuse cases?' she asked herself. She stared at Snape warily for a moment. 'Whichever it is, he knows too much already, or at lies guesses well.'_

"_You leave her alone," Tracey said in a low voice. It was meant to sound imperious, but she was aware if came off more as a plea considering the fact that she had no cards to play here. _

_Professor Snape looked confused and grimaced as he looked at her. "Why are you protecting her?"_

"_I'm not protecting her," Tracey said feverishly. "Haven't you ever heard: the hell you know is better than the paradise you don't know?" Tracey didn't wait for a response before she continued. "I know how to survive her. And in four years, I can leave home and never have to go back. I DON'T need or WANT YOUR HELP."_

For a few days after, Tracey stopped talking to Theodore. However, the boy was never far, always patient and silent, waiting for her to forgive him. Which she did eventually, because she knew that though he had betrayed her, that he was doing what he thought was best for her. As for her plan... she always knew it was fatally flawed.

'Because mother would never let me go,' Tracey thought. Tracey knew that leaving would be difficult after after the way Alexis had left and never looked back, though Tracey didn't know why Alexis had just left like that. 'Mother hadn't been abusive in those days, just suffocatingly strict. Wouldn't let us out to play in the summer, and she rarely let us out of her sight.'

Tracey's mother wouldn't allow her to even have a summer job. From about second year, Tracey had been earning money at school by either tutoring, and on the occasion where other Slytherins were involved, would even do their work for them. Even as a second year, Quiddicth players in sixth or seventh year would bring their homework to her, and she'd do it for a few silver sickles. Although if they wanted good grades, it would be a galleon.

'And then she had to go and find my hidden stash.' All the Galleons she had made through the years, ratted her out. Tracey recalled being called into the kitchen. Soon as she saw the half-empty Firewhiskey bottle, she knew that she was in trouble. The argument had become a blur, and Tracey couldn't even remembered where the steak-knife had come from.

She could recall mother telling her through tears that she would never let her go, that she'd prefer her to be dead. All Tracey could do, was put her hand up to intercept the downward slash of the large knife. The pain had been immense and monstrous. The sudden flow of adrenaline in her veins was the only way she managed to stay on her feet and shove mother off. She didn't even feel when the knife was pulled out as all her senses screamed at her to take flight.

Tracey shook her head, wondering why she was remembering all these things. She already had to relive them in her nightmares, why relive them while waking. Sighing, she shifted on her bed and cracked open a book. She had studying to get back to. She couldn't allow the occurrences of this school year derail her education. Very soon, it would all end.

_**TBC...**_

**A/n: **I've decided to put this story on just a heads up to anyone reading this.


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